


You Left Me!

by Lexys23



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-07-10 13:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15950723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexys23/pseuds/Lexys23
Summary: "You'll come back for me, right?" a small girl asked, her eyes bright with hope."Of course. I'll come back. I'll always come back," a smaller girl promise, nodding her head.





	You Left Me!

 

Seventeen year old Camila was staring at the cupcakes in front of her, wondering which one her sister would like. She stared at the vanilla cupcake with green icing, thinking it was the perfect. It reminded her of her sister. She was about to tell the baker that she had decided on a cupcake when she saw a couple walk passed the window. She turned and felt her heart drop, seeing the familiar faces of her nightmares.

_"Stupid girl," her mother snapped, kicking her stomach. Seven year old Camila cried as she covered her stomach, feeling the impacts. The other parts of her body were throbbing in pain. She didn't know how long her punishment had gone on for, but she just wanted it all to end. She didn't want to suffer anymore._

_Her father just laughed, watching his wife punish his daughter. Every time Camila looked over, her father was just sitting there, a can of beer in his hand. It was as if he was watching a big game. His attention stayed on the two. Camila didn't even know where the other member of their family was._

_"I'm sorry!" Camila cried, shaking her head. Her voice was hoarse from the begging and crying. She just hoped they'd listen. She hoped they'd stop for once. But she knew they weren't. Even at seven she knew this wasn't normal. Her classmate's parents seemed normal. They seemed to love their kids._

_Her mother's body trembled in anger. She extended her hand, having her father place a belt in it. Camila felt her blood turn cold. She could see the dry blood smeared around it from passed punishments. It was the bad belt. Her back stung from the memory of the belt. And they weren't nice about it. When they used the belts, they_ used _them._

_Her mother raised her hand, ready to bring it down onto Camila's body when another body jumped in front of her._

_A scream filled Camila's ears, and she knew that was not her own._

Camila felt her breathing pick up. Her stomach turned. She pressed her hand on the glass of the counter to keep from falling, as her legs became wobbly. She stumbled out of the bakery and followed the couple,  _needing_ to know where they lived. She had to find her.

She stayed silent, following after them until she finally saw them enter a house. She watched them open the door and enter. Reaching for her phone, she quickly saved her location and rushed home, needing to tell her mothers what she found.

-

_"You'll come back for me, right?" a small girl asked, her eyes bright with hope._

_"Of course. I'll come back. I'll always come back," a smaller girl promise, nodding her head._

-

Camila paced in front of her mothers, her hand running through her hair. She had told her adoptive mothers about what she had found and they had contacted the police. The police officer in charge promised to call when he found something, but until then they had to wait. Camila was tired to waiting. She wanted barge into the house herself, but she knew she'd freeze. Seeing her birth parents, it wouldn't end well for her. And she had to think clearly. She couldn't risk her safety, not again.

"Calm down Mila," one of her mothers, Dinah, whispered, having seen her daughter's restlessness.

Camila shook her head. "Why haven't they called?"

"They'll call," Normani, her other mother, reassured.

Camila rubbed her eyes, feeling tears filled her eyes. Her older sister reached over and grabbed Camila's hand, pulling her towards her. Camila leaned into Ally's body, feeling herself tremble.

The younger girl jumped when she heard a phone go off. She turned Normani, who answered her phone. Camila tried to hear what the other person was saying, but she couldn't. It as too muffled.

"Hello? Yes this is she. You did? Oh my god. We'll be there," she said, into her phone. The short conversation ended.

Camila stared, her eyes wide. She stared expectantly towards Normani, hoping for good news. Hoping for the news she wanted.

"She's safe Camila. Your sister is safe."

-

_"Why do they hate us?" the smaller of the two girls asked, leaning into the slightly bigger body._

_"I don't know," the older girl whispered, her hand running through the younger girl's hair._

_"I wish they loved us."_

_"I do too."_

-

Camila rushed into the hospital. She ran to the receptionist, not listening to her mothers call her name.Camila had to find her. She couldn't stop until she found her.

"My sister! Where is my sister?!" she shouted, her eyes panicked, her breathing coming heavy. Her eyes were scanning around, waitng for an answer..

"Excuse me?" the receptionist asked, staring up at the girl.

"My sister, where is she?!"

The receptionist didn't have to answer. A scream ran though the halls. Camila froze. She could recognize that scream anywhere. She didn't wait for an answer from the receptionist. She just took off towards the location the scream originated.

She burst through some doors, freezing. She watched as the doctors and nurses tried to calm a girl down. The girl on the bed was fighting them. She pushed and kicked everyone away. Camila couldn't see the girl's face, her dark hair covering her face, but Camila knew that was who she was looking for.

Camila took a small step towards the bed, her eyes glued to the girl. A doctor noticed her and stood on her way. It snapped Camila out of her daze.

"No," Camila said, trying to look around the doctor, but the man didn't let her.

"You're gonna have to leave," the doctor said, extending his arms.

"No, I have to stay," Camila said, her eyes shifting to the doctor.

"You can't be here."

"No! Lauren!"

The doctor stopped tried to push Camila off.

"That's my sister! Lauren!"

Lauren turned towards the door, having heard her name.

Camila felt her stomach churn when she saw Lauren's face. The girl's green eyes were a dull color, but filled with fear. Her hair was oily and damaged. The girl's lips were chapped, dried blood around them. There were bruises around her eyes, cuts and bruises scattered around her face. Camila could see scars on her face.

Camila's eyes filled with tears as she took a step towards Lauren. She reached over to touch Lauren's bony hand, but the older girl flinched. Camila felt her heart clench. She bit her lip, as she stared at her older sister.

"Do you know who I am?" Camila asked, getting a head shake. "It's Camila Lo."

Recognition filled Lauren's eyes. Tears started to stream down her face. "C-Camzi," Lauren whispered.

Camila nodded her head. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her older sister, earning a whimper from her sister. "You're safe. You're safe."

"Camzi," Lauren whispered into the younger girl's ear.

Camila closed her eyes, sobs escaping her body.

-

_Camila ran her hand on Lauren's hair. The older girl was unconscious. Their father had joined in on the beating and knocked Lauren unconscious. The back of her shirt was starting to stain red, but Camila couldn't do anything except try to keep the other girl calm._

-

Camila held Lauren's hand, while the other girl slept. She had been able to keep Lauren calm while the doctors sedated her. Her mothers and sister had gone home for the night, although Dinah was going to return to stay with her daughter. She was getting new clothes and a late dinner for her daughter.

"What's going to happen to her? Is she gonna go to a home?" Camila asked, looking up at the police officer standing in the room.

"She's eighteen," the police officer said, "she's an adult. No foster home will take her."

Camila felt her eyes fill with tears. She shook her head. She was going to make her mothers take Lauren in.

Her sister was not going to live on the streets.

-

_"We'll always be together, right?" Camila asked, leaning into her older sister._

_Lauren nodded. "Yeah. We'll get out of her together."_

-

"We don't have space," Dinah whispered, watching as her daughter's face reddened.

"Then well make room!" Camila snapped, her hand clenched into fists at her sides. Her body was tensed, as if she were ready to fight someone. But wouldn't dare hurt anyone.

Camila had a short fuse. Her birth parents had caused that. She easily got angry and went to anger management courses when she attacked another student. It had been one of the side effects of being abused as a child. Dinah and Normani had figured out ways to help the girls through her fits of rage.

"Cam-" Dinah tried, but the young girl shook her head.

"No! We're going to make space for her! I'm not leaving her behind."

"Camila, we can't afford to take another child," Normani said, authority in her voice. She knew telling Camila to calm down would just anger her even more.

"Ally doesn't live with us, and I can get a job. Please, I can't lose my sister. She has nowhere to go," her voice softening, tears filling in her eyes as she scared at the sleeping body of her sister. She turned to Normani and Dinah. "Please."

Dinah and Normani looked at each other.

"We can try," the older mother said, softly.

Camila launched herself into her mothers' arms.

"Thank you!"

-

_"Can't we run away?" Camila asked, looking at Lauren._

_"My leg is broken. I can't run."_

_Camila sighed._

-

Lauren laid on her stomach, her back stinging and throbbing. She had been on some hard drug, the girl couldn't stay awake for a few minutes. Camila had been feeding her. The police had found Lauren on her knees in a secluded room, her arms tied to a bar in the roof above her. Her upper body was bare, her back covered with blood. Her parents were in the middle of a punishment. Camila had ordered for Lauren to be allowed to sleep on her stomach, having seen Lauren's painful winces.

Lauren did jump when anyone who wasn't Camila stepped towards her. She had a full fledged panic attack when Dinah touched her hand. But even Camila received fearful reactions. It broke her heart, that her sister had been hurt for  _years_.

Growing up Lauren protected Camila, now it was time for Camila to protect Lauren.

-

" _-seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two," Lauren whispered under her breath, whimpering when she felt a sharp sting on her back. Tears streamed down her face, "eighty-three, eighty-four, eighty-five-"_

-

"-seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight," Camila heard Lauren whispered under her breathe, both sisters in the hospital room. Lauren hadn't tried talking to Camila, or anyone else. She was stuck in her head, counting to one hundred over and over again.

"Hey," Dinah said from the door.

Camila looked over and smiled at her mother.

"How is she doing?"

Camila shrugged. "She hasn't said anything to me."

"ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred, one, two," Lauren whispered.

Dinah placed a bag on a table.

"Lauren is going to be discharged soon. She'll need twenty-four supervision. Your mom and I spoke and I'll be watching over her."

"I can do that," Camila exclaimed, standing up.

"You have school."

Camila sighed, reaching for the bag of food and sitting down. She looked inside and took out what was needed.

"Here Lolo, Mama bought us food," Camila told her older sister.

"-twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine-"

Camila sighed. She reached over and touched Lauren's shoulder. The older girl screamed and started crying.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Camila felt tears filling her eyes as she was reminded of a time she begged for forgiveness.

_"You had to wait two second!" her mother shouted, standing over the small girl._

_The five year old was crying, her inner thighs wet with her urine. "I'm sorry!"_

_Her mother just rolled her eyes. She raised her hand._

_"No I'm sorry!"_

"Camila," Dinah called, placing a hand on her daughter.

Camila snapped out of it and jumped away. She was breathing heavily, her eyes searching for any sign of danger. She relaxed when she saw it was just Dinah, not her birth mother.

"Camila, we have to help Lauren," Dinah whispered, rubbing her hand on Camila's back.

The girl turned to her sister who was crying, her body trembling. Nurses burst into the room, freaking Lauren out even more.

"Lolo, you're okay. It's me, it's Camzi," Camila whispered, crouching down next to the bed.

Lauren's dazed eyes cleared up a little. She looked at Camila. "You left me."

Lauren was unconscious shortly after, the nurse having given her something to calm down.

Dinah reached over and placed a hand on her daughter's back. "I-I didn't, I didn't want to leave her," Camila cried, hiding her face on Dinah's shirt. Dinah hugged the young girl.

-

_Camila giggled, raising her tea cup. Lauren reached over and tapped hers with Camila's._

_"I love you Lolo."_

_Lauren smiled fondly. "I love you too Camzi."_

-

Lauren was helped into the house by Dinah and Normani. Camila and Ally were making sure all the doors were opened. She was gently placed on the couch. The others sat down  near her. It was one of the only times Lauren was lucid.

"So you're Camzi's family?" Lauren asked, looking at Dinah and Normani. She had wanted to know about the people who protected her sister.

Dinah and Normani nodded. "We adopted her ten years ago," Normani told her, getting a weak nod back.

"Are you happy?" Lauren asked Camila, who was holding her hand.

Camila nodded her head. "I'm really happy. Now that you're with me."

Lauren smiled softly. "That's good, you're happy."

Camila smiled, leaning over to kiss Lauren's cheek. Lauren turned to the mothers. "Thank you, for letting me stay here."

Dinah and Normani smiled, it dropped Lauren's heart. The smile wasn't happy. It was polite. And Lauren knew. She knew she wasn't going to stay there for long. It was only until Lauren was able to stand on her two feet. Lauren smiled at them, hoping that they knew that they understood.

"Can you tell us about little Camila?" Ally asked, taking Lauren out of her thoughts.

Lauren looked over at Ally. "She was loud. She's always giggle. She fell down a lot."

Ally grinned, as she talked to Lauren a little more.

Lauren answered what she could.

-

_"No one is ever going to want you,"  her mother told her. Lauren was sitting in the corner, her hands over her ears. She was rocking. "Your sister left you here. She didn't want you. No one wants you."_

_Lauren let out a small sob as she rocked a little faster._

-

Lauren was staying in the Hamilton household for a few weeks. She had been finally about to walk, her back just a throbbing feeling. Ally had gone back to college and Camila was out working on a project for school. Lauren was left home alone with Dinah and Normani, who were great.

Lauren could see why Camila adored them. She just wished she had someone love her like they loved her sister.

"What are we going to do?" Dinah whispered, looking at a piece of people.

Normani shook her head. "I don't know."

"We're already helping Ally with school. We have to feed this family. I don't think we can pay these bills."

"I know Dinah."

Lauren closed her eyes. She placed her hand on the wall. She felt like she couldn't breath. She had tears in her lives. She stumbled into the guest room. She knew it was going to happen. She grabbed the phone the Hamiltons got her and called her lawyer.

She was going to give back to them, she had too.

A few days later, Lauren's check arrived. With the help of Dinah and Normani, Lauren sued her birth parents for all the damages they had done to her. It was an easy win. Lauren didn't want to money at that moment, she knew she'd need it one day. She was glad she waited.

Lauren snuck into Dinah and Normani's room and placed the check down, along with a note. She then walked out and went to kitchen.

"I-I'm going to the check up," Lauren told them, looking to the ground.

"I'll go get my keys," Normani said, standing up.

Lauren shook her head. "No, I want to, I can walk. I want the fresh air."

Normani and Dinah looked at each other. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Call us to pick you up," Dinah told her, trying to get the girl to look at her, but Lauren didn't.

"Okay. I-I'll be back."

Dinah and Normani nodded, watching her leave.

Lauren didn't come back.

-

_Lauren trembled, it had been cold. She was so cold. She always thought she would get used to the cold, but she never did. Lauren rubbed her head, tears filling her eyes. She bit her lip, trying to keep her sobs at bay. She didn't want to wake her parents up._

_Lauren was alone and cold._

_Her parents said it was what she deserved. And she believed it._

-

"What do you means she's gone?" Camila asked, anger in her voice.

"She never came back," Dinah told her youngest.

"Why the fuck didn't you go with her?!" Camila snapped, her body tensed.

"Hey, we get that you're angry, but you don't talk to us like that," Normani told her, staring at Camila.

The younger girl let out an angry breath. "Fuck!" She punched the wall. She felt a sharp pain burst through her fist, but she didn't care. All she cared was that she lost her sister again.

"We're going to look for her. But we won't go anywhere until you take a deep breath."

Camila took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were filled with tears. "Why did she leave me?" Camila asked, tears streaming down her face.

Dinah pulled Camila into her, giving her a big hug. Camila gripped Dinah's shirt and cried.

-

_Dinah and Normani were called to the hospital. Nick Jonas was sitting next to a girl. The little girl was wearing an over sized jacket, her eyes downward. Nick stood up and walked to Dinah and Normani._

_"Hey Nick," Dinah whispered, looking at the girl._

_"Dinah, Normani. I know this is short notice, but Camila just came to us. She needs an emergency placement. She can't get home and will need supervision."_

_"Why? Is she okay?"_

_"Physically, her upper body was covered with bruise and cuts. Her legs seemed to have just bruising. She will need to have her cuts cleaned everyday. Mentally, she has been abused for god knows how long. She's going to need help with that too. I was hoping you'd take her in until I can find a more permanent home for her."_

_Dinah turned to Normani. She gave a small nod. Normani sighed. "We'll do it."_

_Nick let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Camila. "Hey Camila, these nice ladies are going to take care of you. They also have a little girl. You're safe, okay?"_

_Camila looked at him, before looking at Dinah and Normani. Her eyes filled with tears, as she nodded._

_That was the moment Dinah and Normani knew they weren't going to let Camila go._

-

"Fuck you Lauren," Camila snapped, glaring at the girl, who was shaking on the ground. It was a few days, and Camila had waited for Lauren to return. It never hit her, but when it did, Camila ran back to the house Lauren was found in. It had been the only home Lauren knew, of course Camila could go there. Camila found Lauren asleep on the ground, covered with just the clothes on her back.

The older girl rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up. "Wh-what?"

"We're going home," Camila told her, signaling for her mothers.

"No," Lauren answered, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Dinah asked, helping the other girl up.

"I'm a burden. I cause problems," Lauren answered, looking at Dinah and Normani, " I know you can't afford to take care of me too. I wanted to help. I had to leave."

"You can't leave me Lauren," Camila interjected, taking a step forward. She stared at Lauren, who's tears started falling down her face.

"But you had no problem leaving me behind," Lauren whispered, her voice soft.

Camila froze, she felt like someone punched her heart. "I-I didn't."

Lauren felt tears stream down her face. "You left me! You promise to come back but you didn't!"

Camila shook her head. "I came back but you were gone. I wanted to come back. I tried to come back. I came back!"

"I thought I was going to die. The day you left. They were going to kill me. They should have killed me."

" _Don't_  say that. Don't  _ever_  say that," Camila told her, shaking her head, "I never stopped looking. I made my moms take me to the police station. I never stopped looking for you Lauren."

Lauren broke down. Camila watched as Lauren cried for the sixteen years of abuse she had endured. She watched as Lauren finally let go of her pain.

Camila walked to Lauren and wrapped her arms around the girl. "I never stopped looking for you."

Lauren leaned into Camila, crying. Camila kept her arms around Lauren. "You're okay. We're okay."

Lauren nodded her head, allowing herself to be helped into the car. Once inside, Lauren spoke up. "I-I can get work. I can help with bills."

Normani turned in her seat to look at Lauren. "No. Let us worry about the bills. You just worry about getting better."

"Th-thank you for letting me live with you."

"You're Camila's sister. That makes you our family. Let us be yours," Normani whispered, smiling softly.

Lauren looked at Camila, to Dinah and then to Normani. She nodded her head. "O-okay." Camila reached over and grabbed Lauren's hand. She smiled sadly, the other girl just smiled back.

-

_Camila had enough. Her body hurt enough. She couldn't take anymore. She turned to Lauren, who was laying on the bed. Camila felt her heart beat faster, knowing Lauren wasn't able to leave with her. Their parents had chained Lauren's ankle to the bed as punishment for not letting them finish punishing Camila. And the girls never knew how long those punishments lasted. And Camila didn't know when she'd have another chance to escape. Their parents weren't home at the moment, having gone out for a night in the town with their friends._

_Camila crawled to her sister, gently shaking Lauren's shoulder. The older girl groaned as she woke up. Lauren shot up, looking around._

_"I'm gonna go get help," Camila said, looking at Lauren._

_The older girl frowned. "Wh-what?"_

_"I'm gonna get help. I'm gonna get out of here and get help. I'll come back for you."_

_Lauren shook her head. "No! Y-you can't leave me! Don't go! Please don't leave me."_

_"Lo-"_

_"Please," Lauren begged, her eyes filling with tears._

_"I have to, I'll come back."_

_Lauren shook her head, her eyes closed. "Please."_

_"This is the only way we can be safe. I'll get cops to come. I'm gonna get help," Camila repeated._

_"You'll come back for me, right?" Lauren asked, her eyes bright with hope._

_"Of course. I'll come back. I'll always come back," Camila promised, nodding her head._

_"O-okay."_

_Camila kissed Lauren's cheek and gave her a hug. She snuck out of the house and ran off. Unfortunately for her, her parents had gotten a house away from civilization, they didn't want anyone else to hear their screams was their excuse._

_It took a few hours, but Camila was finally found. She was taken to a hospital, where she tried to get people to listen. When the officers arrived, Camila told them everything. She told them about the abuse. She told them they had to help her sister. She didn't know the address of where she lived, but she could take them._

_And she did._

_Camila went back for Lauren. She kept her promise. But when she arrived, the house was empty. Her birth family was gone._

_Her sister was gone._

_She didn't save her sister._


End file.
